Cultivator



April 1, 1952 D. E. GILLESPIE I m 2,5 9 1 A2O cuLTIirAToR Filed Feb. 3,1949 lllllllll IN VEN TOR.

. )a uic/ Gillespie ATTOR NEY5 .tivator and weed cutter. ""vention isdirected to a hand operated cultivator 1 and cutter for garden use.

Tear sides of the truss frame.

Patented Apr. 1, 1952 iQ-ZFUNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE CULTIVATOR DavidE. Gillespie, David City, Ne br. Application February 3, 1949, SerialNo. 74,337

(01. Sir-59) '7 Claims.

1 This invention is directed to a combined cul- In particular theinobject of the invention is to produce a rugged combined cultivator andweed cutter of simple and lightweight construction. Further objects ofthe invention are to produce a cultivator and cutter which will cut offor scrape off any weeds which are not turned out of the ground by thecultivator teeth, and to produce such an apparatus in which the handleand the height of the cutter can be adjusted with respect to thecultivator teeth.

In general these objects are obtained by con structing a truss frame ofparts which also form supports for the cultivator teeth and the T'cutter.bar, said frame being supported at one end bya wheel, and having oneside extended into a pusher handle. The cultivator teeth are locatedbehind the wheel and in front of the cutter so that the ground is firstworked by the teeth, and deep rooted weeds which are not dislocated byth teeth will be caught and cut off by the cutter. Both the handle andcutter are independently adjustable .to meet the size of a personpushing the cultivator, so that when the teeth are pushed through theground, the cutting edge of the cutter is horizontal.

The means by which the objects of the invention are obtained are morefully described with reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the cultivator;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the cultivator;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on I the line 3-3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional View on the line 4-4, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on the line 5-5, Fig. 2.

As seen in Fig. 1 the cultivator is composed of a handle A, a trussframe B and a wheel C. The two sides of frame B are symmetrical.

The base of the truss frame is composed of apair of Z-shaped members 2,the forward ends of which are journalled to the axle shaft 3 of wheel C,and the rear ends of which are joined, as by bolts, to the legs 6 of aU-shaped member. The bight 8 of this member extends across the frame andcarries the depending cultivator teeth In.

The free ends of legs 6 are joined to a second pair of Z-shaped membersI2 which form the The lower ends of members I2 terminate in inwardlyturned ingmembers 2 and Son one side of the cultivator, then removingnuts 24, members 6, I2 and I9 from shaft I4, resetting shaft I4 intoanother pair of holes 2|, and then replacing the members on shaft I4 andtightening nuts 24 and replacing the bolt in members 2 and 6. Members 2,6, I2 and I9 are sufficiently resilient to make this possible. As legsI9 bear upon flanges I3, the legs are prevented from rotating on shaftI4. The forward edge 2B of cutter 20 may be sharpened to a knife edge.

Truss frame 13 is completed by a pair of members 30 forming the uppersides of the truss. The upper ends of members 30 are secured to theupper ends of members I2 by a bolt which also secures the members to thelower end of handle A. Members 30 are provided with three pairs of holes3I adjacent their upper ends so that handle A can be, in effect,angularly adjusted with respect to the plane of members 2. The lowerends of members 30 are secured, respectively, to Z-shaped members 2,slightly rearwardly of axle shaft 3. Above bight 8 is a crossbrace 32extending between members 30, and a strap 34 connects brace 32 to bight8. This strap has four holes 35 adjacent its lower end,

to enable its length being altered in accordance with the fastening ofmembers 30 to handle A.

Frame B is lightweight but rigid by reason of the transverse andvertical crossbracing. When in operation, the greatest stress is uponteeth Ill, and this stress is transmitted to upper frame members 30 aswell as to side members 2. The assembly is simple and compact, and thevarious pieces are conveniently connected by bolts and nuts.

Before the cultivator is put into use, the angle of handle A is adjustedto the set of holes 3| to bring the height of the handhold D at a heightabove the ground most convenient to the operator of the cultivator. Atthe same time an adjustment must be made of the strap 34 where it isattached to bight 8. Finally, legs I9 of cutter 20 are set in the pairof holes 2| which will, for the position of the handle selected, causeedge 26 of the cutter to move substantially parallel to the ground whenhandholdls D are depressed to push teeth In into the ground as thecultivator is moved forwardly, truss B rotating on shaft 3. Weeds notturned out of the ground by teeth will then be cut off, or scraped offby edge 26 and eifectively destroyed. The location of the cutter withrespect to the teeth makes it possible for the operator of thecultivator to depress handle A but slightly so that teeth in penetratethe ground only a small distance, and edge 26 is kept above the ground,when areas having no weeds are being cultivated. When a weedy area isencountered, handle A is further depressed, sinking teeth l0 deeper intothe ground and causing cutter to function at the surface, or slightlybelow the ground surface, to cut the weeds and their roots. This greatlyreduces the amount of work required to cultivate a given area, andincreases the speed of cultivating. It is further noted that by reasonof the compact structure of frame B, the cultivator, when not in use,can be towed from place to place by turning frame B upside down, thuspreventing the teeth and cutter from engaging any obstructions.

Having now described the means by which the objects of the invention areobtained, I claim:

1. In a hand cultivator having a wheel, a wheel shaft, a frame forsupporting cultivator teeth and a handle, said frame comprising a firstpair of oppositely disposed Z-shaped members having one of their endsjournalled upon said shaft, a U-shaped member the bight of which extendstransversely and cross-connects said Z-shaped members and the legs ofwhich comprise extensions of said Z-shaped members, a second pair ofZ-shaped members connecting said legs to said handle, and a pair ofmembers connecting said handle to said first named Z-shaped membersadjacent said shaft.

2. In a hand cultivator as in claim 1, a cutter,

and means mounting said cutter comprising a,

rod extending transversely of said frame, and means adjustably mountingsaid cutter upon said rod.

3. In a hand cultivator as in claim 2, cultivator teeth depending fromsaid U -shaped member.

4. In a hand cultivator as in claim 3, a brace extending between saidpair of members connecting said handle to said first pair ofyZi-shapedmembers, and a strap connecting saidbracmwith;

said bight.

5. In a hand cultivator as in claim for adjustably connecting saidhandle connecting members to said handle to vary the angle between saidhandle and the plane of said first pair of Z-shaped members.

6. In a hand cultivator as in claim 5, a brace extending between saidpair of members connecting said handle to said first pair of Z-shapedmembers, and a strapadjustablyconnecting said brace with said bight.

'7. In a hand cultivator as in claim 1, a cutter, a rod extendingtransversely of said frame, inwardly turned flanges on the lower ends ofsaid second pair of Z-shaped members, and means mounting said cutterupon said rod and bearing against said flanges.

DAVID E. GILLESPIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,003,481 Magoon Sept. 19, 19111,280,866 Scliaible Oct. 8, 1918 1,917,333 Simmons July 11, 19332,506,033 Mondloch May 2, 1950

